The cover of this audiobook grabbed me one day while browsing Hoopla. It’s not a book I had heard of, or an author. But it kept me engrossed and asking, what now…? You see, a grand palace has sprung up with a new king. This enormous palace went from farm ground to Taj Mahal in three months, but no one ever saw anyone working on it. Was it magic? No one knows. Magic is a fearful thing. It is only spoken of in whispers, and really plays no part in this book. But something else is afoot.

The king is seeking a wife, and such a hunt requires all the ladies of marriage age to come to the palace for parties, social life, and husband hunting. But this tale is not one of a marriage contract in the making, but rather of a girl, daughter to the local doctor, who specializes in poisons. For some reason, people, and animals keep getting struck down by poison and even the best doctor in the land can be of no help. So the local doctor, and his daughter trek to the castle to see if they can create the cure. Josie is a midwife. She has helped bring lots of babies into the world, but it is illegal for her to practice real medicine. However, we all know that won’t stop a strong woman. However, a cute man is always a distraction, and Captain Hammer is just such a distraction. Ad he needs the help of a local, as none of the palace staff have any memories before the opening of the new palace.

This book kept me listening. It was a cozy mystery with a bit of romance and a lot of intrequie. I finished book one and now really need book two as the mystery is not solved, it has only gotten bigger! Hopefully Josie stays in the good graces of the King, and finds our fiend in book two: the Echo of Broken Dreams.
#BBRC #Rains
#ReadHarder #CozyMystery
#Booked2019 #Femaledetective